..续本文上一页d was exceptionally hard to articulate.
13. "It occurred to me, bhikkhus: `This dhamma which I have found is profound, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond logic, subtle, comprehensible only to the wise. But this is a humanity which loves desire, is delighted by desire, delighting in desire.
Thus, for a humanity which loves desire, is delighted by desire, delighting in desire, this is a subject difficult to comprehend, that is to say, causal connectedness, conditional causality. And indeed this is a subject difficult to comprehend, that is to say, the stilling of all formations, the giving up of all attachment, the exhaustion of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbana. And if I were to teach dhamma and others did not understand me, that would be a weariness and vexation to me . . Such, as I was reflecting, my mind inclined to not bothering, to not teaching dhamma." (M.I,150f; Vin.I,4f; S.I,136f; cf. D.II,36f)
The Truth which the Buddha realised is quite contrary to the usual way of the world. That is, it is opposite to the birth, ageing and death which is common to worldly human beings -- it is the "unborn, unageing, unailing, deathless", which most people can not even imagine! And trying to teach this seemingly incomprehensible teaching to others would be futile. However, the celestial being Brahma Sahampati realised the serious consequences of this decision by the Buddha and beseeched him to teach for the sake of "beings with little dust in their eyes".
14. "Then I, bhikkhus, having known Brahma”s entreaty, out of compassion for beings, surveyed the world with the eye of an Awakened One. I saw, bhikkhus, as I surveyed the world with the eye of an Awakened One, beings with little defilement, with much defilement, with keen faculties, with dull faculties, with good qualities, with bad qualities, easy to teach, hard to teach, and only a few who dwelt seeing faults and fear in the world beyond.
"Just as in a pond of blue lotuses or a pond of red lotuses or a pond of white lotuses -- only a few blue, red or white lotuses are born in the water, grow up in the water, do not rise above the water but thrive completely immersed in the water -- only a few blue, red or white lotuses are born in the water, grow up in the water, rest on the surface of the water -- only a few blue, red or white lotuses are born in the water, grow up in the water, stand up out of the water, untainted by the water.
"Then I, bhikkhus, addressed Brahma Sahampati in these verses:
Open are the doors to the Deathless,
For those who hear, let them show faith;
Considering vexation, I inclined not to teach dhamma,
I know is excellent for human beings, Brahma.
(M.I,169 abridged)
Thus the Buddha overcame his original hesitation and decided to make the Path to Awakening known to those who were seeking. Celestial beings in Buddhism are recognised as beings of advanced spiritual development, the higher levels only attainable through refined meditation practice rather than mere virtuous actions. Several of the brahmanical "gods", in this quotation, Brahma, and in other quotations, Indra (Sakka, cf. D.21), have been co-opted into being partial to Buddhism. Metaphorically, they may represent the more noble human qualities.
15. "The Tathagata is perfected and fully awakened. Listen, bhikkhus, the Non-Dying has been attained. I shall instruct you; I shall teach you Dhamma. Following what has been advised, you will soon enter on and abide in, know and experience for yourself that unsurpassed culmination of the religious life for the sake of which a person of good family rightly goes forth from the homelife into homelessness."
Vin.I,9.
The Buddha first considered who would be most likely to understand his subtle teaching. He first remembe…
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